The Death of Hyacinthos, sometimes referred to as The Death of Hyacinth, is an oil painting completed by Jean Broc in 1801. This is Broc's most famous work and is considered to be drawn from the Metamorphoses by Ovid. It is a depiction of the dead Hyacinthos cradled by his lover, the Greek god Apollo. In front of them is the discus which caused Hyacinth's death, which was thrown by Apollo himself. The discus had been blown off course by the west wind Zephyrus, who was also in love with young Hyacinthos and was jealous of Apollo. From Hayacinthos' blood sprang the Hyacinth flower which bears his name. It presently belongs in the collection of Poitiers and is often displayed at the Musée Sainte-Croix. Description The painting displays Apollo, recognizable by his red cape and lyre, cradling Hyacinth as he stumbles. Beside Apollo's feet is the discus which caused Hyacinth's death. The Zephyrus, or west wind, blows Apollo's cape. Around the figure's feet are scattered flowers. In the background is a small grouping of trees, and a body of water (either a lake or river) and a mountain. History The Death of Hyacinthos was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1801. It was most likely exhibited again at the Paris Salon of 1814, piece number 155, under the title "Hyacinthos wounded". Later, it was purchased by baron Horace Demarçay (1813–1866), and was donated to the museum at Poitiers by his widow in 1899. Since then, it has been exhibited in several exhibitions: 1974, as part of the exhibition "From David to Delacroix, French painting from 1774 to 1830", Paris-Detroit-New York, number 16, catalogue entry by Robert Rosenblum, pages 340–341; 1975, "Search for Innocence", University of Maryland Art Gallery; 1989, "The Death of Bara", Avignon, Calvet Museum; 1997, "Goodbye to Berlin", Berlin, Schwules Museum; 2002, "The Birth of Feeling, the Foundations of Romanticism", Paris, Cité de la musique, number 38, catalogue entry by Philippe Bata, 3 April to 30 June 2002; 2006, "American Artists in the Louvre", Paris, Musée du Louvre, 14 June – 18 September 2006. Influences The theme of The Death of Hyacinth has been touched upon by various other artists. Before Broc: Boizot, salon de 1745, no. 133; Benjamin West. This painting was displayed in Paris between 1794 and 1801 and Broc would have certainly seen the piece. It is currently kept at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. After